After Effects Fundamentals Lesson 1: Welcome to AE

Learn the basics of After Effects in Lesson 1 of our 10 part After Effects Fundamentals course.

For the new user, Adobe After Effects can seem like the most fun, mind-blowing, and complicated program ever created. AE gives users the ability to blend motion graphics with VFX and everything in-between. It has been used to create VFX on the biggest Hollywood films including Avatar and the Avengers, and it’s the go-to industry standard for motion graphic design. But for new users After Effects can be incredibly daunting. If you’re not familiar with terms like masks, keyframes, alpha-channels andrendering, navigating After Effects may seem impossible.

Well lucky for you, we’re offering a free video tutorial series on After Effects Fundamentals. The 10 part course will be presented over the course of 10 weeks, with a new lesson posted every Monday until we are finished with the series. By the end of the series you should be ready to create amazing animations and VFX in After Effects. If you have any questions along the way I’ll be happy to answer them. Simply ask in the comments below.

In this first lesson we will introduce you to the After Effects workflow and go over a few key concepts including:

The After Effects interface

Effects

Solids and layers

Animation

Rendering

With a little determination you’ll be creating amazing animations in no time.

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We will post new lessons every Monday for the next 10 weeks. Check the Premiumbeat blog for future lessons. And while you’re there you can watch more After Effects tutorials, read the latest filmmaking news and pick up some post-production tricks.

What did you think of the first lesson? Have any questions? Ask in the comments below.

I would like to try something….have a 3D microphone (made the model in ZBrush) descend form a smoky black background, like into a boxing ring. It comes to a stop, but wavers a bit, and then darts moving to a prescribed path to spell out the title name of the short film opening. Can you help? I have CS 5.5…thanks! Rick